Blue Moon Valencia Amber Ale - Coors Brewing Company

MIXMASTERICE

Missouri

1.58/5  rDev -48.7%
look: 2 | smell: 1.75 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

Made the mistake of letting my curiosity get the best of me. Was going to pick up the regular Blue Moon, but saw this offering and figured I would see what it had to offer. Big mistake. First off, this isn't a horrible tasting beer. It's actually doesn't have much taste or flavor at all. All I get from this is a slight bit of spice, with a little odd flavor in the finish, almost malt liquor-ish. It's 5.9 ABV, so it packs a little more punch than the tradional 4.5-5.2 ABV beers, but taste wise this is almost as neutral as you can get. Not what I want when buying a "craft " beer, as Anything I've tried from Samuel Adams has much more character than this offering. This is like the guy in the crowd who just blends in and isn't noticed. I won't be buying this Blue Moon offering EVER again.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 04:12:11 | More by MIXMASTERICE

RoamingGnome

Wisconsin

3.16/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Blue Moon Valencia Amber Ale

Poured from 12 oz bottle into a shaker pint. Served chilled.

A) A copper colored brew with a thin white head, maybe half a finger. The head quickly dissipated, not much lacing to write about.

S) Grainy, slightly sweet, maybe a whiff of caramel. Some wheat and a little orange rind. Not a powerful aroma by any means.

T) The taste follows the nose, but packs a little more punch than I expected. Not overly sweet. I liked the use of wheat and orange here.

M) Medium bodied, and well carbonated. It's crisp and goes down easy enough. Decent finish...

O) This was alright.... I wouldn't turn down a bottle. For whatever reason, I found myself drinking a Third Shift Amber, and a Killian's Red recently. I liked this better than both of those.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2013 04:01:26 | More by RoamingGnome

UCLABrewN84

California

3.06/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

Best before 6/24/13.

Label calls this one Valencia Grove Amber.

Pours a clear orange with a foamy tan head that settles to a partial film on top of the beer. Foamy dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, caramel, and a slight citrus aroma. Taste is much the same with earthy, spice flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of spice bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with an almost flat mouthfeel. Overall, this is an average beer that is fairly drinkable but sort of boring all around.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 05:07:34 | More by UCLABrewN84

mactrail

California

2.76/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.5

Pours a handsome amber color with a very thin foam in the big Duvel tulip. A whiff of custard. Lightly carbonated with fine bubbles. The mouthfeel is thickish. Something like malt with some caramel. Reminds me of Hawaiian bread, kind of sweet and doughy.

I don't taste oranges specifically, but there is a citrus tang. It's more like a fruity bitterness with a touch of yeast. I can't say there is anything really wrong with this, it just has an odd, persistent flavor without much beery refreshing quality. No trace of hops, which would be odd for an Amber Ale, if that's what this is. It seems more like a bleary and bloated Witbier. From the 12 oz bottle bought at Ralph's Supermarket in San Clemente.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 05:46:58 | More by mactrail

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.31/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25

12 ounce bottle - $1.49 at Total Wine & More in Kennesaw, Georgia.

Date code: JUL1513.

Appearance: Pours out an amber-hued body, great clarity, with a not-so-great, very thin, white head.

Smell: Sweetish scent of toffee atop bready, scantly grainy malts with just a tickling of wheat and a juicy orange topnote.

Taste: Toffee-laced, bready grains, moderately sweet adjoined to a sip of everyday OJ. Minimal hop character, bitterness. Slight wheaty accent here and there. Orange peel taste on the back-half and into the drying, zippy finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium-plus carbonation.

Overall: While the VAA is not exactly bad, I just wasn't exactly keen on the flavors presented here.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2013 00:17:00 | More by ChainGangGuy

SometimesIfart

Michigan

2.53/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75

A - Pours a very clear amber with a thin quarter finger of off white head that quickly dissipates to a ring around the glass. Left no lacing.

S - Smells of slight orange peel an cinnamon.

T - At first comes a lingering slight orange peel flavor, followed by some very cheap malts and adjuncts.

M - Medium bodied with very high carbonation.

O - Overall, it's alright for easy drinking, but not a craft beer by any means. could perhaps be used as a cross over beer but that's about the extent of it.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 22:40:16 | More by SometimesIfart

JMad

Texas

2.9/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3

The beer pours a burnt orange/ amber color with a thin filmy off white head.

It smells of butter and biscuits with hints of honey and grain. Tastes pretty average, some sweet caramel malt and macro flavor is all I detected. It is medium bodied with low carbonation and a forgettable finish.

For a supposed amber, this really wasn't that good, I would drink it over a regular macro though.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 03:30:12 | More by JMad

dbrauneis

New Jersey

2.61/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2.5

A: Pours a clear light to medium amber in color with moderate amounts of visible carbonation and some golden orange highlights. The beer has a half finger tall light beige head that quickly reduces to a very thin film covering about half of the surface of the beer with a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Light amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Light to moderate aromas of caramel malts with just a light touch of orange citrus though there is something slightly artificial about it. Some notes of wheat as well.

T: Very similar to the smell, there are light to moderate flavors of wheat and caramel malts upfront with some lighter notes of orange/citrus (though it is not a citrus hop but more of an artificial orange flavor). Light bitterness that fades pretty quickly.

M: Light to medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation.

O: I did not have very high expectations for this beer but I was still slightly disappointed - I really like Valencia oranges and I could not really detect that smell or flavor at all. Easy to drink but really nothing special and the flavors do not seem to integrate well together.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2013 23:06:39 | More by dbrauneis

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

2.58/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Portion of a 12 oz bottle into a Hunahpu's snifter. Hey, at least it's not as bad as putting Budweiser Black Crown in it...from notes.

A: Pours an orange-amber color, with no head. I'll chalk it up to my glass being somewhat dirty at this stage.

S: There's some orange and sweet caramel. Pretty blah, which isn't too surprising.

T: An orange-y start fades into a finish of really bland wheat. If the nose was pretty blah, the flavor is really blah.

M: Relatively light and crisp. Still, the sweetness detracts from the drinkability too much.

O: Eh, not great. Still, I've had far worse.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 08:02:07 | More by ThisWangsChung

CamuMahubah

Nebraska

3.68/5  rDev +19.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

It pours beautiful..orange..

It smells sweet..

It tastes nice but a bit sweet..

Goes down easy but needs something..too sweet..

I don't know if extra hops would help..it's just a seasonal and goes well with Spring bbq's if we could ever have a Spring in NE..

Nice beer..I was thinking today about a beer that would be citrusy..

Nah I shoulda went IPA but I thank Blue Moon for trying..being a child of Central Florida I know the Valencia is too sweet for anything but OJ..the should have used the Navel..

Ah well nice try and I like it and rated it higher than I thought I would..

TRY TO DRINK THIS BEER SLOWLY..you cain't..it's nice..

It's sweet like the girls you let slip away..love it..

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 07:59:44 | More by CamuMahubah

metter98

New York

2.71/5  rDev -12%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2.75

A: The beer is clear light amber in color and has a moderate amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a finger high off white head that died down, leaving a thin layer of bubbles covering the surface and a collar around the edge of the glass.
S: Light aromas of caramel malts, wheat and orange citrus are present in the nose.
T: The taste is similar to the smell but the mixture of flavors isn't very pleasant.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: I didn't really enjoy the combination of flavors as they didn't seem to have a good balance that were palatable to your taste buds.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 22:35:55 | More by metter98

BucBasil

South Carolina

3.59/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from the 12 oz bottle into a Sam Adams perfect pint.

A: Nice orange color with a medium amount of carbonation inside. Off-white to light tan foamy head that is 2 fingers thick and sticks around a while. This is a good looking beer.

S: Clean citrusy aroma, not too orangey but clean overall with a bit of floral hop and some malt underneath to tie it together. Pretty basic actually. Somewhat more like a pale but without too much depth. Unoffensive and makes a drinkable presentation.

T: More malty than expected. This is somewhat like the Blue Moon winter seasonal but a bit brighter. The malt and spice profile is the same. There is a citrusy twinge in there but the "Valencia Orange peel" is not super noticeable. It is more of a bready malt profile with some citrus notes.

Not a bad beer - not what I expected but nothing extraordinary. A good solid drinkable beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 01:13:41 | More by BucBasil

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

3.29/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

I picked this up a part of a mix-a-six at Giant in Linglestown, poured chilled into a tulip.

The color is copper with good clarity and thick tan cap with average sized bead and stringy lace. The smell has a bready aroma with mild yeast and malt esters with light citrus tinge. Mouthfeel is gently malty entry with semi-high carbonation and mild sweetness with light yeast tanginess and semi-dry finish with light alcohol presence.

The flavor has a slight nutty toastiness with mildly malty and slightly caramel notes with mild citrus element in the background with a gentle yeast creaminess and element of biscuit in the finish. Overall, not too bad, but this was pretty plain and ordinary which is not something I would want to purchase again- just ok drinkability wise.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2013 17:02:31 | More by Slatetank

BlackHaddock

United Kingdom (England)

3.61/5  rDev +17.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

'Valencia Grove Amber' on my label: drank 5 Feb 2013 in my hotel room in San Francisco. The 12 ounce bottle was chilled with ice in the wash basin and poured twice into a plastic beaker.

I found this OK: good amber hue to the body and an off-white head that didn't want to hang around for very long.

Flavour wise it had a pleasant orangey feel within what is a malty brew that has very little hop action in the nose or taste.

I prefer maltier, semi-sweet brews and this fitted my profile fairly well. One of the best beers from Coors I've had either side of the Atlantic.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 10:14:54 | More by BlackHaddock

sam_bliss

Washington

2.96/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2.5

This is not just Valencia Amber Ale but Valencia GROVE Amber. Special.

The copper-colored ale smells of wheat malts and the typical array of blue moon spices, plus orange peel. I like the taste, because I like orange juice, and it tastes just like OJ! At least it has flavors similar to that of good, fresh-squeezed valencia orange juice, the type served in Spanish cafes. As an amber, though, it misses the mark. Some pale and sweet malts lay a soft base, but the orange flavor dominates. The mouthfeel also reminds me of thick but pulp-free orange juice with just a bit of carbonation.

This 'beer' is enjoyable to drink as long as I don't think too hard about it. So I keep my beer review short and just enjoy the OJ-esque malt beverage.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2013 03:28:27 | More by sam_bliss

hosehead83

Ohio

3.21/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a standard pint glass.
Clear gold in color, with a decent head of off-white foam.
Aroma-Toasted malt, faint orange note
Taste-Orange zest, toasted malt, wheat note. A bit thin-bodied and not-quite balnced. An o.k. offering.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 16:56:43 | More by hosehead83

TheFunGuy

Virginia

3.38/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Picked up in a sixer for drinking on the balcony during the first warm weekend of the year.

It poured a very clear amber with a one inch head which faded to almost nothing. It looks like an impressive, clean beer. A Bud Light with better color.

The smell is light wheat, light caramel, and light orange. The taste is exactly the smell. Dead on the same.

The mouth feel is as a easy drinking as Bud Light but with a decent flavor. Perfect for an outdoor beer when you are going to each have three.

My wife really liked it in this context, and she also likes Two Heart style IPAs and porters.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 16:06:15 | More by TheFunGuy

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

3.51/5  rDev +14%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from bottle into tulip. Pours a golden amber with a finger of head. Sweet caramel and slight citrus aroma...taste is the same. Its got lots of sweetness. Its slightly citrus but nice. Glad to see a little alcohol in a blue moon brew...
Its a good decent brew...not amazing but good

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 02:08:55 | More by DrinkSlurm

zeff80

Missouri

3.16/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - Poured out a clear copper color with a one-finger, khaki colored head of foam. It left little to no lacing.

S - It smelled of oranges, lots of them. Some toasty notes.

T - It tasted of orange - less strong than the aroma. Some sweet caramel and toffee.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A medium bodied ale with a dry finish.

O - This was interesting, but I don't think I need to have another one.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 22:44:34 | More by zeff80

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

2.03/5  rDev -34.1%
look: 4 | smell: 1.75 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

I love being able to buy singles. I can then review the beer and if such is my wont, I can buy more of the same. I am not a fan of buyer's remorse, which is what generally ensues when I buy in quantity.

From the bottle: "This copper-colored ale is crafted with roasted malts, Valencia orange peel, and a touch of wheat for a smooth taste with notes of citrus."; "Our Valencia Grove Amber is crafted with roasted malts, Valencia orange peel, and a touch of wheat for an uplifting orange, caramel aroma. It's the perfect inspiration for taking advantage of the season."; "Taste Responsibly" is negated by the presence of a fruit slice garnishing the glass. I thought that it already tastes of orange - are they suggesting a) gilding the lily, b) adding a different fruit or are they just mindless?

Onward! My initial pour netted me two-plus fingers of fizzy, tawny head with negligible retention. Nose was soft, definitely with a wheat presence underlain by a light citrusiness. Color was a deep amber/light copper with NE-quality clarity. Mouthfeel was soft and silky, terms that I usually do not associate with Blue Moon. The only problem was its lack of any real flavor. I did not get caramel either on the nose or in the mouth and the orange was so lacking as to constitute a waste of the Valencia orange peel prominently mentioned on the label. Finish was semi-dry, but so what? The astounding lack of discernible flavor left me wanting more. Not more of this, but more beer, like one with something that I could taste. This was as bland as white bread.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 18:29:51 | More by woodychandler

StLThrash

Missouri

3.11/5  rDev +1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12 ounce bottle into a pint glass.

A - Light amber, not much head - maybe a finger, and no significant retention or lacing.

S - Nothing spectacular. I don't get a lot of the citrus / orange which this beer is marketed as. I do get more wheat / malt in the nose.

T - Again, just OK. Not refreshing as I'd expected with the description. Typical amber ale, with some wheat to make it kinda like a Blue Moon, but I think it fell short with the added valencia orange peel / spices.

M - Average. Nothing special. Kinda dry.

O - Not bad, but not that great. Worth a try, but I wouldn't waste money on a sixer... Maybe add it as a part of a mixed six at your local beer store.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 16:45:13 | More by StLThrash

kojevergas

California

2.23/5  rDev -27.6%
look: 2.25 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.25

12 fl oz brown glass bottle with branded screw-top cap served into a Uinta pilsner glass in me gaff in low altitude Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Expectations are average; a lot of people like to bash Coors, but I think Blue Moon isn't all that bad. 5.9% ABV confirmed. Best before 06/03/13.

Served straight from the fridge. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated; hell it'll probably be overcarbonated.

A: Pours a three finger, beige colour, thin head of no cream and below average (~1 minute) retention. Body colour is a yellow-copper. Semitransparent; translucent.

Sm: No yeast or alcohol comes through. Light light light caramel malt. Light amber malts. A touch buttery. Light to mild in strength.

T: Buttery toffee. Light caramalt. Clean barley. No yeast notes or alcohol come through. Imbalanced and mediocre. Simple. Lacks complexity or subtlety. Kinda crappy, to be honest. Clean. Maybe - maybe - a touch of brief orange; but it's as crap an orange note as you'll ever find.

Mf: Smooth, wet, light, and poorly carbonated. Not crisp enough for the style. Suits the flavour profile poorly. Clean, at least.

Dr: Drinkable but severely underwhelming. Dareisay crappy - and I do. Yeah, this kinda sucks. Definitely wouldn't get this again. It's far worse than ordinary Blue Moon. ABV is hidden alright. Another poor beer from Blue Moon.

High D

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 05:30:33 | More by kojevergas

jera1350

Minnesota

3.15/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Burnt orange color with a thin head on top.

Very BMC like smell with some wheat and orange peel notes.

A heavier wheat presence with orange. Not actually too bad. A touch of hops on the back side.

Carbonation feel is great, lighter medium body, very dry finish.

Drinks easily, just not the most interesting. The orange is evident and the overall beer would be on the slightly adventerous side of novice. Could see how people would like it for warmer temps.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 22:18:26 | More by jera1350

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

2.5/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Light amber/iced tea color. Surprisingly crystal clear. Inch and a half of foam on top. Held pretty well, too.

Prominent coriander and pilsner-like malt grassiness. Faint citrus peel. Hop bitterness comes through, partly lost in metallic notes. Missing a more prominent ale yeast profile. Lager-y.

I taste bitterness, fake citrus, and nickels. Very thin wheat profile, thin malts in general. Hops haven't really contributed to flavor other than some grassiness. Hard to imagine that they were going for an orange-y amber ale. Shaking my head over here.

A little too fizzy, but the body isn't terribly thin. Dextrin-y for this style.

Biggest penalty incurred right here. Poor. Avoid.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 05:18:24 | More by thecheapies

scratch69

Missouri

3.54/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

I poured a bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance- Clear amber color with half a fingers worth of head. Light amount of lacing.

Smell- Wheat grain with hints of orange citrus.

Taste- Wheat malt flavors with caramel and citrus notes. Mild hop bitterness at the finish.

Mouthfeel- Medium bodied with an average amount of carbonation.

Overall- Slightly above average beer, but still not as good as a regular Blue Moon.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 19:36:08 | More by scratch69